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Home ❯ Songs ❯ Johnny Cash ❯

Folsom Prison Blues

by Johnny Cash • Lesson #72 • May 28, 2017

About this lesson

Let’s learn how to play Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash! In video lesson I’ll teach the chords, strumming pattern, tabs for the intro, and even how to strum with alternating bass notes. Note, this song will need a capo on the 1st fret if you want to play along with the Cash album version. Otherwise, you can leave the capo behind and play it in the key of E. Best of luck!

  • 0:00 Playthrough
  • 0:44 Chords needed
  • 1:41 Verse structure w/ simple strum
  • 2:50 Intro riff
  • 3:40 Strumming w/ alternating bass notes
  • 5:43 Farewell

Licensed Song Sheet 2 pages

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Play-Along Practice Track

Here’s a 5-6 minute jam track you can use when practicing this song. It loops through the 11-measure sequence over and over again, with drums + guitar holding down a steady beat, always showing you the current chord. You can use this to practice your strumming, the solo, singing, or anything else! Note, this is in the Key of E (no capo) for simpliciity.

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